Microsoft looks to polish its image
Yahoo | at | by Mike
Jean-Philippe Courtois is embarking on a charm offensive. The image of Microsoft in the information technology industry must be improved, he says: "I want people to talk about Microsoft in a different way [from the way] they talk about Microsoft today."
In 18 years at Microsoft, Mr Courtois has become used to the changing attitudes towards the software supplier. As he lugged early versions of products around European companies, he was laughed at by IT managers who said it would never work. Since its Windows operating system has grown to dominate desktop computing, the ridicule has turned into grumblings about the company's power. Though he skirts delicately around the question of how Microsoft is seen today, his determination to change that perception suggests the company acknowledges it as a problem.